Airborne 12.09.16

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Airborne 12.09.16

Hope To Recruit New SEALs

The US Navy Parachute Team, the Leap Frogs, started off their
schedule last week by promoting the first SEAL Fitness Challenge of
2008. Sponsored by Naval Special Warfare, the Challenge will tour
colleges around the country to promote fitness and to encourage
potential candidates to enlist and become a SEAL.

During the Challenge, entrants must finish a 500-yard swim under
12 and a half minutes, do a minimum 42 push-ups in two minutes, a
minimum 50 sit-ups in two minutes, a minimum of eight pull-ups, and
finish with a one-and-a-half mile run in under 11 and a half
minutes (we're tired just from typing that all out --
Ed.)

The Leap Frogs are an aerial demonstration team, which combines
visual aerial acrobatic displays with colored smoke and dramatic
examples of parachute control and precision..

"We want to use the publics' interest in the Leap Frogs to
strengthen interest in the SEAL Fitness Challenge," said Chief Mass
Communication Specialist Robert Feinberg, public affairs officer
for the Leap Frogs.

"The Leap Frogs will focus a lot of their time on the SEAL
Fitness Challenge this year," said Feinberg. "We will be promoting
them all over the country on almost every show we do."

The SEAL community requires a growth of 500 personnel by 2012.
To help recruit possible candidates, SEALs that grew up where the
Challenges are to take place are lending a hand. "This has all the
key ingredients to be our biggest Fitness Challenge yet," said SEAL
Fitness Challenge Event Coordinator, Lt. Richard Hecht.

Because of the success of prior Challenges, the Los Angeles
event has been expanded from one day to two, February 9-10. The Los
Angeles event will be held at the University of California Los
Angeles.

The Naval Special Warfare community is a maritime component of
US Special Operations Command and the Navy's special operations
force. The community is composed of over 6,700 personnel, including
2,300 SEALs, 600 Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen (SWCC),
along with military support personnel, reserve components, and
civilian staff.